The Race

9 Weeks & 6 Days

Jess's POV

"Jared! Get me the bucket!" I gagged and held my mouth closed.

Jared ran to the bathroom and grabbed the bucket and put it beside me. As soon as he set it down I bent over and vomited.

The radiation was worse than the cancer.
I glanced at myself in the mirror, immediately regretting my decision to do so. My hand felt the top of my head, bald.

"Are you ready?" Kylie, the hairdresser asked.

I took a deep breath and gave one last look at myself in the mirror. I wasn't going to have my own, real hair for a long time.

Kylie turned on the razor and began shaving my head. A tear slipped from my eye and Jared came over and comforted me.

"You're so strong Jess, so fucking strong. You will get through this, this is just another hurdle you have to jump before you reach the finish line."

"I know, I know." I said and wiped the tears. "It's just... Hard." I cried.

"I love you so god damn much Jess." He kissed my forehead.

"You're finished! Want to see?" Kylie asked, a little too happy for the situation.

"I may as well." I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror.

Tears started rolling down my face again.

"Jess, baby, what's wrong? You look beautiful." Jared pulled me to his chest.

"I have fucking cancer. Cancer. Everyone is going to know it. People just don't shave their heads Jared, not unless they have cancer. Me. I have cancer. Fucking cancer!" I sobbed even louder, drawing attention to myself.

"But guess what? You're going to get through it because I have an infinite amount of faith in you and the doctors. All we need is faith, right?" Jared comforted, quoting my favorite song of his.

"Babe," Jared said snapping me out of my flashback.

"What?" I said, my eyes puffy.

"I want you to stop touching your head all of the time, it does you no good." He said.

"I know." I choked out.

"You're my princess, whether you have cancer and a shaved head or not." He kissed my head. "I think you look even sexier with your shaved head." He smirked.

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up. I love you." I said, giving him a peck on the cheek. "But right now, all I want to do is sleep." I yawned and rested my head on my pillow.

"Alright princess. I will come check on you in an hour. By the way, your mom and sister are coming this weekend." He said quickly and left the room. My mouth fell open and I started to yell for Jared to come back, but I realized that I had no energy to and it'd be a waste.

I thought about my mom and sister coming to California for the weekend. I have no idea how it was going to go. They didn't know that I was pregnant, married, or had cancer.

But that's what you get when you disown your daughter.

Jared's POV

"Jess, wake up. You've been asleep for 4 hours. You need to eat." I said gently and rubbed her back.

"I don't think I can get up." Jess said and sat up, groaning.

"I'm going to carry you downstairs and I will set you on the couch. I'll make dinner." I smiled and picked my wife up.

"Did you tell my mom or sister anything?" Jess asked once I sat her down.

"No. I didn't feel as though it was my place to tell them. But Jess, they sound so excited to see you. I can't wait to meet them." I said and went into the kitchen.

"I'm scared. What if she is upset with me for not calling her and telling her? I mean, I'm pregnant and I have cancer for god's sake!" Jess exclaimed.

"I'm not leaving your side, babe. If they can't accept it then they have no right to stay in my house." I called into the living room.

"Speaking of this house, what room do you think should be the nursery?"

"I was thinking the room that is next to ours. It's fairly large and we can paint the walls and decorate it."

"That's the room I was thinking too." I could sense Jess smiling.

I sat a plate of spaghetti in front of her and handed her a fork.

I sat down next to her and Jess put her legs on my lap.

"Do you remember when I took you home that night of the concert and I went inside your house and you did this very thing?" I smiled, recalling the memory that changed our lives.

"I do." Jess smiled.

"I also remember our kiss and how you had a poster of me hanging in your room." I teased and laughed.
"Shut up! I got that when I was 23!" Jess laughed.

"And here you are now married to the same guy on you poster that you got 6 years ago." I smirked.

"You're not Shannon. I got that poster for Shannon." Jess gave a sly grin.

"To hell you didn't." I gave a low growl.

"Oh, but I did." Jess teased.

I set my plate on the table and got on top of Jess. I propped my elbows up so I wasn't squeezing her.

"No, you didn't." I growled in her ear, clearly turning her on.

Jess tilted her head and purred, "Bedroom now."

I didn't need no further instructions. I swooped Jess up and carried her to our room as fast as I could.

Jess was in for the ride of her life.